Fracture risk in breast cancer: Does obesity have an effect? A scoping review

Metastasis from breast cancer (BC) has a predilection for the skeleton. Due to its osteolytic nature, breast cancer bone metastasis (BCBM) appears to increase fracture risk. The association between obesity and its effect on bone seems to be skeletal site-specific. The incidence of pathological fractures often involves the axial skeleton even though the most debilitating effects of fractures are caused in the appendicular skeleton. Whether obesity increases fracture risk in BCBM remains inconclusive, however. At present, there is no literature that examines the effects of obesity on BCBM, and fracture risk are as such we sought to determine the effect of obesity on fracture risk in BC. This is the focus of the review.

This scoping review aims to examine the link between fracture outcomes of women with BC and obesity as reported by Body Mass Index (BMI). The purpose of this study is to determine if current literature suggests obesity increases fracture risk in women with BC.

We conducted a comprehensive literature search for breast cancer bone metastasis, obesity, and fracture risk in PubMed, Cochrane Library, NIH Clinical Trials, and OpenGrey. Articles that included BC, obesity, and fracture risk were included for analysis. Data were pooled, charted, analysed, and reported according to PRISMA-ScR standards.

Each outcome was stratified by BMI (obese or non-obese) status in women with breast cancer. Five studies were eligible for analysis and relevant data was charted to allow results to be synthesised. We found four out of five studies reported a positive association between BMI and fracture risk in females with breast cancer.

We found a potential association of obesity and fracture risk in breast cancer. However, as we conducted this study it was evident that there is limited literature available on this topic and none for breast cancer bone metastasis. This poses an important direction for future research. Larger and robust pre-clinical and clinical randomized control trials are needed to better understand the relation between obesity and metastatic breast cancer.